Interview Anxiety

[RAS87]

Hi everyone!

So I have two interviews coming up right around the corner. I am both excited and overwhelmingly anxious for them. I'm a perfectionist and prepare for EVERYTHING as much as I can. I feel like that trait might harm me in this situation though. I am a very social person but when I have people ask me interview questions to practice,  I start stumbling over my words and start blanking because I know exactly what I want to say, but can't remember it all. I feel like I have prepared too much and have memorized all my answers. I'm having a hard time thinking of it as a conversation rather than a test. To anyone who shares this struggle and has overcome it, what tactics did you use to help yourself relax and let the anxiety and perfectionism go? 

[UGoLong]

You have to relax and don't be overly rehearsed. Take the time to establish rapport with the interviewer. Recognize that you will probably interview at multiple schools so that one interview is not match point for your career dreams.

Perfectionism can lead to a robotic performance; don't go there. Be conversational.

Good luck!

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[Fizzassist]

@RAS87 a current PA-s recommended watching a Ted talk by Amy Cuddy that he said helped a lot withanaging anxiety. Hope it helps. Good luck! 

[JD2012]

Relax as much as you can.

They know you are nervous so its ok to be a little nervous but not too nervous. You need to show that you can handle stressful situations.

Your application got you in through the door. The interview is merely just to make sure you aren't a weirdo.

Lastly, you are there to interview them as well so make those questions count when its your turn to ask them!

[harden4mvp]

Try to remember that the people interviewing you want to get to know you more than you want to interview. They want to fill their class with not the best interviewers, but the best candidates. I interviewed with the program director and during my interview, I dropped a piece of paper, picked it up (actually bent down out of my seat to get it), lost my train of thought and was humiliated. Safe to say after that the conversation went way more smoothly after my guard was let down accidentally lol. I got accepted 2 days later. It truly has nothing to do with how you interview but more about if you can be genuine and answer questions truthfully. Just try to realize they're people too and don't want a robot script, so it's okay if you can't remember everything you want to say. Just take a few seconds pause after they ask you a question, collect your thoughts then answer.

[ajgAK]

Interview tip that helped me immensely: check out the campus beforehand, if you can. Knowing where to go that morning or afternoon of the interview lifted a lot of my anxiety. Waking up early did as well. It gave me time to drink some coffee, nibble on some food, and breathe. I was also very honest with myself and the schools I interviewed with. Of course I had answers ready for the stereotypical, "Why do you want to be a PA?" or  "Why this program over _____?" however I stopped preparing for all other questions the weeks leading up to interviews because I didn't want to sound like a robot. If I were you, I would know why you want to be a PA and why you applied to certain programs, and maybe do some research on big trends in medicine. Also, interact and be friendly to other applicants (who are just as nervous as you!) See if any of those interviewing with you can go out the night before or grab breakfast if the interview isn't until later in the day. One of the programs I interviewed with sponsored a pizza outing the night before my interview and I walked in the next morning knowing most of the other applicants, which was so nice! We were able to open up a lot more and have real conversations. It was not awkward or forced. Some of the faculty commented on the difference between our interview group and prior groups who hadn't seized that opportunity. I know it isn't always possible with flights and transportation but I think it made a huge difference. Most of all, be yourself! It sounds very lame, but I know the program I am attending is a good fit. I'm not worried that I won't fit in with the other students or faculty because I was completely honest. Not all programs are the right fit, even if they seem like your dream school at first. Be just as skeptical of them, as someone else mentioned. Ask questions. Breathe. Good luck!

[Pranit0503]

Anxiety during interview process is quite a common phenomenon and you aren’t alone, if you are facing the same.
However, now there are tips and steps which you can follow to remove the depressing thoughts and make your Interview Process, a success.

Know here how to deal with interview nerves/anxiety with law of attraction.